Apparatus for handling material



Jan'. 19, 1932. w. D. sTocKLY APPARATUS FOR HANDLING MATERIALA Filed Nov. 28, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Jan. 19, 1932. w. D. sTocKLY 1,341,683

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING MATERIAL Filed Nov. 28, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 19, 1932.

W. D.. STOCKLY APPARATUS FOR HANDLING MATERIAL Filed NOV. 28. 1925 5 Sheets-SheetI 3 w. D. s'rlocKLY 1,841,683

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING MATERIAL Filed Nov. 28. 1925 `lan. 19, 1932.

5 Smets-sheet 4 Jan. 19, 1932. t W, D STOCKLY l 1,841,683

APPARATU FOR HANDLING MATERIAL Filed Nov. 28, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 .1K deliver it directly to the conveyor. n ers as heretofore constructed and with which 2' and transferred thereto.

leader has comprised a digging element at one Patented Jan. 19,k .1932

PATENT erica WALTER'D. STOCKLY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA ArrAnATns non, HANDLING MATERIAL The present invention relates broadly to material handling "apparatus vand methods of handling material, and more particularly to methods andi apparatus of this character adapted to the handling of coal'.

At the present time it is customary in the art to which the present-'invention relates to y provide conveyors adapted to be moved directly into a mine and brought into direct c contact with the material to be handled.

llot infrequently such conveyors comprise a unit, or an integral part frequently characterized as a loader and adapted byits operation to engage the coal or other material and ln loadl am familiar, the construction and operation has been such that all Vofthe material handled by the conveyor hasV been directly engaged ln some casesthe Vend, while in other cases ithas comprised a series of chains or the like provided with projections Vadapted to engagev ,the coal. In

either case, thetransfer ofcoal has been dependent upon the actual bodily eiigagement of the digger or special chains withthe coal, whereby it has been lifted or thrown onto the conveyor. f

1 ln accordance .with the present invention there is provided an apparatus adapted to effeetV the handling of material on anentirely diderent basis,the so-called diggeror digging elements only contacting with a comparatively small percentage of the total amount of material conveyed. l have found that by such an operation the efficiency of the apparatus is increasec, it being possible to handle va total amount of material with a lower power consumption', and at the same time the size ,of the loaderscan be made materially smallerfor the same material handling capacity.

.Preferably the loader Y is of. generally wedge-shaped crmstruction havingvthe digging end adapted to` travel in proximity tov the surface en which the material isA sup` ported and also having this end as thin as possible vfrein the structural standpoint "n whereby it is permitted tohurrow or Wedge ,i A n n Application. mea Navember 28,1925. semaine. 71,920.

itself under a pile of material in such mani "nerthatfoperation ofthe digger or agitator method of sliding or rolling the material directly onto the conveyor without bringing it all into contact with the digger or agitator constitutes a novel advance in the art.

In the accompanying drawings there are shown for purposes of illustration only, certain preferred embodiments of the present invention, it being understood that the drawings do not define the limits of my invention, as changes in the construction and operation disclosed therein may be madewithout departing either from the spirit of the' invention or the scope ofv my broader claims.

ln the drawings: i

Figure l isa sider elevation of a kloader lconstructed in accordance with the present invent-ion, y

Figure 2 is a front elevation, partly broken away, of the construction illustrated in Figure l; f ,A

Figure 3 is a. detail view, on an enlarged scale7 showing one form of the digger or agitator; V Y j L Figure l is a transverse sectional view on theline lV-IV of lFigure 3 klooking' in the Vdirection of the arrows;V .y

Figure la is a detail side elevational view of one form of ydigger element; Figure 5 is a side elevational view, similar to Figure 4illustrating a modied form of the invention; y n

Figure 6 is a top plan view of the construc-v tion shown in Figure V5, certain of the parts beingbroken away; y

,Figure 7 is a top plan view of a modified, form of loader illustrating the principle of operationthereof; Y

Figure 8 is a longitudinal sectional view, 95 partly broken away, of the construction shown in Figure 7 v j Figure 9 is a top plan view, on an enlarged scale, ofthe digger and conveyor structure illustra-ted in Figures 7 and 8 Figure l0 is a sectional 'iew on a line X-X of Figure 9 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure l1 is a detail elevational View, partly broken away, of one of the digger elements of Figures 9 and 10; and

Figure 12 is a` detail View partly broken away of the bearing and supporting plate.

The present application constitutes a continuation in part, of my copending application Serial No. 757,830, filed December 2li, V1924;.

In carrying out the present invention, and having reference more particularly to Figures l and 2, there may be provided a suitable side frame 10 of any desired construction within which are journaled head and tail shafts 1l and 12 respectively for the endless conveyor system 13. As illustrated, this side frame projects above the top surface of the conveyor, thereby forming retaining walls for the material carried thereby. Suitably `secured to the tail shaft are pinions llland 15, these pinions preferably being adjacent the opposite ends of theshaft. Journaled at one end in one of the side walls 10 is a countersnaft 16, this countersh aft having its opposite end journaled in a. sleeve 17 which is in turn iournaled in the opposite side wall. Secured to the countershaft 16 is a gear 18 meshing `with the gear 14, while secured to the sleeve 17 is a gear 19 in mesh with the gear 15.

The countershaft 16 may be driven in any desired manner as by a motor 2O having a sprocket 21 on its armature shaft in line with similar' sprocket 22 on the countershaft and connected therewith by sprocket chain 23. rlhe countershaft is in turn effective through the gears 1S and 14 for driving the tail shaft 12. At the same time, operation of the tail shaft will be effective for imparting a materially slower rotation to the sleeve 17 by means of the gears 15- and 19. Carried by the sleeve 17 is a cani or eccentric with which cooperates a pitman 25 by means of an eccentric strap or follow r QG. rlhe opposite end of the pitman has a pivotal connection to a rocker arm 2T adapted to be rocked about the aule 28 which carnes the propelling or drivg wheels The shaft Q8 is journaled in the frame of the loader and is provided with a ratchet wheel SO keyed thereto and adapted to cooperate with a pawl 3l carried by the rocker arm 27.

By reason of this construction, operation of the motor will tend to intermittently advance the loader, thereby maintaining a detinite ratio of advance with respect to the speed of movement of the conveying7 system. lt will be Y utilized ether o l. lly drive:` or that the entire structure me be adva' manuahy as by means of a p between bie-c `iets The ldader frame in be supported at its front end on a truck assembly 33 pivoted by means of a king bolt 34: in a horizontal bearing 35 carried by the loader frame. A handle 36 may be suitably connected to the king bolt 34 for the purpose of guiding the entire apparatus when such action is deemed necessary.

It is desirable that the conveying system shall be of such character as to provide a carrier having a supporting surface effective substantially continuously throughout its length and width whereby it is effective for uniformly handling material deposited thereon. Such results may be conveniently obtained by providing a plurality of parallel extending chains 37 carried on sprockets airially aligned on the head and tail shafts, the sprockets 3S on the tail shaft preferably being` keyed thereto for the purpose of constituting driving means for the conveying system. As a matter of fact, the upper sprocket elements 38 may also be formed in the periphery of an integral roll keyed to the shaft. In the embodiment shown in Figures l to il it is proposed to use solid oval ring chains, and in this case the sprocket teeth will be correspondingly formed as shown for example in Figures 3 and 4:.

The construction and arrangement of the various parts carried by the head shaft is of particular importance, inasmuch as the head shaft constitutes the digging or agitating means which is effective for disturbing the equilibrium of the material being handled in such manner that the material tends to deposit itself, both by reason of the direct action of the agitator and by its natural tcndency to slide, directly under the conveyor. This operation is obtained by reason of the fact that with the construction herein provided it is proposed to bodily move the lower end of the loader into and under the body of material being handled whereby the head shaft serves as a buried agitator disturbing a considerable percentage of a pile of material with the effect that a large body of material which is remotely positioned with respect to the head shaft is deposited on the conveyor without ever coming into contact with the agitator per se.

.ln order to obtain these advantageous results, the head shaft may be constructed as shown, for example, in Figure 3 in which the sprockets alternate with substantially circular toothed digging or agitating elements of suitably larger diameter than the sprocketsthemselves. One form of digging or agitating element is illustrated in Figure Il from whicl it will be apparent that toothed disks 39 vwith polygonal apertures may be mated with correspondingly sh aped hubs il() on 'the sprockets 4:1. rllhe shaft 1l may be rcvolvably ournaled in loader frame. or the sprockets may rotate on this shaft,v Where the shaft is rotatable a: a unit, one cr more of with the cenveying system, there may be provided an apron 43 extending below the upper run ofthe conveyor, and constructed of any suitable material. is illustrated mere 'particularly in Figurel,k the apron may have ene or beth of its endsslotted in order to permit the sameto approach as nearly as possible the rotational circles of sprockets l1, disks V39, etc. The. sprockets 38 are, of course;

' so spaced yas toA be in alignmentwith the Asprockets el which are held spaced/by the disks 39, these disks in actual practicebeing, forexample,i a quarter Vof an inch in' thicky ness. rlhefhuhs 40 will lie-'suitably dimen- As illus sionedto cooperate with'tliese disks., A tension roller 48 Ymay also vbe provided for keeping the conveyor system suitably taut as it .travels over the apron and the sprockets lca rried by t ie head and tail shafts. Y

Frein the si'iructure described vit will be apparent that Vupeii rotation of the sprockets 38, teeth 39 will bepesitively rotated due to their cenneetieu with the sprockets 4l which are in turn positively driven by the conveying system. This action carried on below a body of Material such as coal will disturb the equilibrium of 1',hecoal so that therewill be transfer-k red te the conveying system not only thematerial.' directly engaged by the agitating er elements, but also the material whose angle ef repose is disturbed bythis agitating i action.r

ln accerdancewith one modification it is prepesed to eliminate the blades 39 by Yusing di sprockets el in ceniunctien with disflat link conveyor chains d5. as

for enample inhligures 5 and6.

n r ed in Figure 5 the sprockets may e provid t withteeth of suitable construc- *ion 'for cooperation with the comparatively lcng links yof the chain 45. ln this manner, upon' rotation ofthe sprockets el there is consideinibiel clearance provided between the teeth at and the pintles i5 of the chain isy available ffiij accommodating specially cenii ctabls hardened extei an teetl.. l? censiti t differing" eler-` nts and preferably'screiice 1nto themenfs the teeth dii. 'll be un i stood rthat shaft l2 will be provided with sprcd' sending te the sprccliets dal anc. at t end of the apron will he sletted indicated te it clcsc as dled'.

ln order tov slightly modified embediment of the invention and Figures und 8 indicate somewhat diagraminatically the cooperative relation between theloader and the' material being han- In' these iiguresthe material is indicated by the reference character M, the loader as a` whole by thev reference character L and the agitator and its associatedz parts by the reference character A. 'lt will be apparent` that the entire structure is of such shape that it is adapted'to be bodily advanced into andv under'a pile of the material wnereby the conveying system acts as a supporting means for considerable pertion of the pile. Upon op 'eration' of the anita-tor,- 'the angle vof reposey of the material is disturbed wherebyit' is caused to slidebodily onto the cenveycr along the general lines of the frustuin of an inverted cone as clearly indicated in Figure 8,

the material fallingk onto the conveyor rircinv loader a maximum amount Vof material may 'be handled with a minimum power consumption. Y Also,` such an action enables the material to be handled with a minimum amount of breakage which is particularly desirable inth case ef coal. This is true for the reason that the material slides down the general slope approximating the angle of repcseand directly ente the conveyor which is of such nature as to providea supporting surface of substantially uniform characteristics distinguished from a surface provided with aseries of teeth or the like which dig intcand correspondingly break up the coal.

ln order tofacilitate the burrowing action of the agitator, it is desirable that the overall dimensions with respect to height be kept asY small as possible having regard to the rwork to be performed,-it being necessary to have parts of sufficient physicalfdimensions to give the necessary rigidity. .l have found that very desirable results can be accomplished by providing a nose plate '50 of the general con struction illustrated in plan view in Figure l2; li avil ruled with openings 52 for the receptionA of the head shaft l1. By reason ef this construction the head shaft is effectively sup- K ered a plurality of points throughout vih7 thereby venabling the use ofv a shaft -iarmively small diameter.l lCarried by thisv sha-ft at suitably spaced intervals are a series of spaced bearingsl prof combined sprockets and agitating members 53, there being ono of these members in each of the spaces between adjacent bearings 51.

The conveying system may be of the link 5 type comprising a carrier made up by a series of similar U-shaped links carried by transversely extending pintles 56. rlhese pintles in turn form the driving means cooperating with the combined sprocket and digging 0 members 53. The nose plate 50 may have an offset 57 adapted to receive the lower end of the apron 48, as clearly shown in Figures l0 and 12, whereby a continuous surface is provided below the conveying system minimiz- 5 ing, the sifting action of the liner material.

Experience has shown the desirability of providing driving means which does not cooperate with a portion ot the conveyor loaded with material, and to this end the tail shaft l2 0 conveniently carries a substantially smooth drum 58 around which the conveying system passes, the drive being obtained by a shaft 59 carrying suitably shaped sprockets 6G. In

this manner the sprockets engage the con- 5 veyor at a point where it is free from the material being handled, with the result that a much more effective driving engagement is obtainable between the sprockets and the conveyor. It will be understood that the shaft 59 may be driven in any desired manner as by providing it with a suitable gear 61.

In Figure 8 the loader is also indicated in chain lines as provided with a supporting and advancing` means in the form oit an endless belt GQ which may be or" the general type utilized for example with caterpillar tractors.

Certain advantages of the present invention arise from the method ot ei'iiecting the transfer of material by bringing only a rela- 0 tively small percentage thereof into actual engagement with the agitating means, the

remainder of the material being traiisferred by the disturbing of its repose whereby it slides or rolls directly onto a conveying 5 system.

Further advantages of the present invention arise from the construction of the conveying system whereby substantially continuous supporting surta ce effective through- O out the length and width of the conveyor is provided.

Still other advantages arise from a loader having the digging elements concentrated on an agitator at its forward .end whereby the 5 conveying system may be tree from such elements thereby improving its material handling characteristics and keeping breakage to a minimum.

Still further advantages arise from the construction of the agitating and digging member in such manner as to provide rotating agitating or digging members throughout substantially its entire length, which v membersare of a relatively small diameter, D as .well as from the mounting of the conveying system whereby if desired a drive may be effected' of the agitator by means of the conveyor and whereby the conveyor may be driven at a point at which it is free from the material being handled.

I claim:

l. In a material handling apparatus, a supporting frame, a head shaft and a tail shaft in said frame, a plurality oit' conveyor elements flexibly connected providing a flat belt-like supporting surface and a plurality ol' digging and driving members throughout substantially the length of said head shaft, said conveyor passing around said head and tail shafts and having fissures for permitting the digging and driving members to project therethrough.

2. In a. material handling apparatus, a supporting frame, a head shaft and a tail shaft in said frame, a plurality of conveyor elements flexibly connected to provide a flat beltlike conveyor, a plurality of digging and driving members throughout substantially the length of said head shaft, said conveyor passing around said head and tail shafts and engaging said driving members for rotating said digging members, said conveyor having fissures permitting said digging members to project therethrough, and operating means for said conveyor.

3. An agitator and digger for coa -loading machinery comprising a nose-plate having series of spaced bearing projections thereon, a shaft extending through all of said bearings, digging elements on said shaft intermediate said bearings, and a plurality of conveyor elements -flexibly connected together to form a belt-like conveyor, said conveyor being looped about said shaft with said digging elements engaging certain of said conveyor elements.

4.-. In a material-handling apparatus, a supporting frame, a conveyor carried thereby to extend in an upwardly and outwardly inclined plane, an unprotected head-shaft in said frame around which the conveyor travels in such manner as to be directly and continuously exposed to the material being handled, said conveyor comprising elements travelling side by side in close juXta-position to provide substantially continuous supporting surface from side to side, and digging elements carried by said head-shaft` .so as to project between adjacent elements of the conveyor in one portion of the cycle of the head-shaft, and means for operating said conveyor. l

5. In a loading apparatus, an unprotected head shaft, a conveyor ol' the endless type passing around said hea d sh aft, said conveyor comprising elements flexibly connected together and affording" open spaces, said open spaces being narrow so as to provide a substantially continuous supporting surface from side to side of the conveyor, and a plullO rality of digging elements carried by said head shaft and arranged to project through the open spaces of said conveyor during a portion of the cycle of said head shaft, said digging elements being arranged to dig and lift material from vbelow the conveyor and in close proximity thereto, certain of said projections engaging and lifting the material before a prior projection leaves the material wherebyfsaid conveyor upon operation thereof is buried in the material to be handled and tends to pull itself into and under the material, said projections being withdrawn from engagement with said material during another operation of the cycle of the head shaft.

G vln a loading apparatus, an unprotected head shaft, a conveyor cooperating therewith and extending around the head shaft, said conveyor having fissures at intervals transversely thereof, said fissures being narrow so that the conveyor provides a substantially continuous supporting surface from side to side thereof and a plurality of material engaging and lifting members carried by said head shaft at intervals along the same, said members projecting through the fissures in said conveyor and arranged to digk and lift the material from below the same, said projections being arranged to insure the simultanes ous agitation of the material by a plurality of vthe projections whereby the conveyor upon operation thereof tends to pull itself into and under the material to be handled, said members being withdrawn from engagement with the material during a portion of the cycle of said head shaft.

7. A conveyor for handling loose material comprising a head shaft, a tail shaft, a conveyorpassing around said shafts and a plurality of digging and lifting members carried by said head shaft, said conveyor being .provided with a plurality of narrow openings for permitting said members to project therethrough, said members being arranged at intervals transversely of the head shaft and arranged to insure the simultaneous act i'on below a mass of material'of a plurality of the projections whereby the operation of the conveyor continuously tends to pull the same into and under the material to be handled, said members being withdrawn from engagement with said material `during a por- Y tionof the cycle of said head shaft.

8. ln a coal loading machine, a frame, a rotatable head shaft at the loading end of said f frame, a rotatable tail shaft at the discharge` end of said frame, a conveyor operatively n ipunted on said frame and travelling around said shafts, said conveyor comprising a iiexible body having openings at intervals transversely thereof, said openings being narrow n so that said body provides a substantially continuous support from side to side thereof, and a plurality of spaced material engagating means for said conveyor.

ing projections carried by said head shaft at the loading end of said frame and cooperating with the openings in said conveyor, the diameter of the head shaft at the loading end of the frame and the spacing of said projections being so related as to maintain at all times a projection adjacent the head shaft at theiloading end of the frame effective for exerting a lifting action on the coal confronting the conveyor.

9.V ln a coal loading machine, a frame, a rotatable head shaft at the loading end of said frame, a rotatable tail shaft at the discharge end of said frame, a conveyor operatively mounted on said frame and travelling around said shafts, said conveyor comprising a flexible body having openings at intervals transversely thereof, said openings being narrowso that said body provides a substantially continuous supporting surface, and a plurality of spaced material engaging jections carried by the head shaft at the loading end of said frame, the diameter of the iead shaft at the loading end of the frame and the spacing of said projections beingV so related as to maintain at all times a projection in cooperation with the turn of the conveyor as it passes around the head shaft at the loading end of the frame effective for eX- ertng a lifting action on the coal confronting the conveyor.

l0. ln a material handling apparatus, a supporting frame, a head shaft and a tail shaftin said frame, said tail shaft being at a substantially higher elevation than the head shaft, a plurality of digging and driving members carried by the head shaft and spaced at intervals along the head shaft, a flexible conveyor passing around said'head and tail shafts and engaging said driving members for rotating said digging members, said conveyor comprising an endless carrier made up of elements flexibly connected together to form a supporting surface leective substantially throughout its width, said carrier having openings permitting the digging members to project therethrough, and oper ln testimony whereof I have my hand.

WALTER D. STOCKLY. 

